Indoor Rev: launch and 360 by John Barresi

Transcript

1. ›

   Why start with the basics

   0:00

   In our first tutorial we talked about your handles, the basic settings, the theory of the angle of the sail with the settings you are using, and some aspects of the kite itself. At this point we will talk a little about the actual basic controls, because at this point there are no basic resources for flyers to learn from the ground up how to fly an indoor Rev, and certainly since Connor Doran's massive exposure on America's Got Talent there has been a lot of interest. Without that information it is a little difficult, so we will go ahead and cover it from the basics.

2. ›

   Thumbs back, small inputs

   0:39

   First of all, control. We will show the kite in flight in just a moment, but the control method stems entirely from these two handles, so let me give you a close look. We have the two handles with the four lines. With the thumbs back, the kite flies forward when it is under pressure. If you pull one bottom line down slightly, it turns in that direction: in this case my right handle turns right and the left turns left. With the indoor Rev you will find that the inputs generally do not need to be very big, particularly if your hands are kept close together, which you certainly want to do. Again, pretty moderate inputs. Reverse is pulling back on both lines.

3. ›

   Keeping the hands close together

   1:25

   All the while you are flying, make sure you do not spread your hands much further apart than this. You will notice that most accomplished flyers keep their hands well in front of them, maybe extending them out a little, but you never see them spread their hands out or go very wide. It simply helps keep the kite stable when your hands are close together, because the kite relies on having pressure. If you pull one wing toward you too much, you can see it gets flat and the wind just flies off the sail. So the key is to keep your hands relatively close together and accomplish most of your control inputs with your hands.

4. ›

   First launch against a wall

   2:08

   Having done that, let me take you through the first steps of setting up your kite and launching it into a room, and probably through our first 360. For your first launch, it is generally easiest to start with the kite leaning up against the wall like this. Make sure your lines are free, not under your feet, and not wrapped around any of the wingtips. Then I set my handles in roughly a forward position and just walk away from the kite. It pulls away from the wall. I am not going to be rushed: I just keep it upright and let it slide backward. Once I am ready to go, I launch by pulling my top lines back and making a slight turn so that the kite starts traveling around in a circle.

5. ›

   Relaxed, steady movement

   3:10

   I want you to pay attention to my feet and the general pace I have. We will demonstrate that once around, away from the wall, and launch. You will notice that my hands are in front of me. No sudden movements; very relaxed. If the kite starts to fall, I give it just a little more pull. If the kite is going too fast and is uncontrollable, I slow down just a little. So, just by how much you are pulling on the kite, you can affect how much pressure the sail has. You will notice that I am always walking away from the kite.

6. ›

   Standing launch without a wall

   3:52

   Having shown that, let me also show you a different way to set up and launch your kite. If you do not have a wall available, or you want to take it up a level, you can set the kite upright like this. It is a little tricky at first, but again, mind your lines and make sure they are not underfoot. I make sure my kite is nice and straight. Once I feel I have it balanced, I let go of it and walk backward until I get to the end of the lines. Notice it is a smooth, not hurried, not stressed movement. You can actually get to the end of the line before the kite starts to fall. Let me demonstrate that again. For those curious about the catch and throw I am doing there, we will cover that in another tutorial; this time I really just want to get you past the basics.

   Once more: make sure the lines are not around the kite or my feet, and that the kite is clearly upright. Once I hit the end of the lines, we just keep going, as if we were walking away from the wall. I pull my top lines, make a slight turn to get the kite sideways, and carry that movement around into the 360. Nice and balanced, upright, relaxed, no hurry. I can use small inputs with my hands to make those turns, but really I just want to keep that leading edge pointed straight. Notice that my hands are not pulled very far apart, just a little on the top wing. Let us go the other way so you can see that: there is probably no more than five or six inches of difference between my hands.

7. ›

   Practice tips

   6:15

   That is your basic introduction to launching, both off the wall and from a standing position, through your 360, and it is really your jumping-off point for learning. Do not get too frustrated while you are learning the launch and the 360: just try and try again. If you are having problems, relax and try slowing down, because indoor flying is really all about economy of motion and keeping pressure in the sail. It is not your hands, not your feet, not all of that that is making the power: it is just that subtle pressure against the standing air that makes it fly. Having covered that, I encourage you to give it your best shot, and I will show you some more in the next tutorial.